1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to garments and particularly women's swimsuits.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the continuing trend toward naturalness and health, there has been a pronounced tendency for women of all ages and physical conditions to desire to wear substantially briefer swimsuits than those conventionally worn in the past. This trend has created problems for women who, though desiring to achieve a maximum suntan, have imperfections in skin or figure which are desired to be concealed in particular contexts. In the past, such women would have contented themselves with wearing a one-piece bathing suit, thus depriving them of the benefits of greater exposure to the sun. In particular, the spread of the desire for greater exposure while wearing swimsuits to women of more advanced ages than in the past has resulted in a larger number of women with imperfections or flaws in skin or figure, as for example, stretch marks or scars resulting from childbirth or Caesarian Section. For such women, the conventional two-piece bathing suit would reveal the flaws in particular context, as in a public bathing beach, and would cause embarrassment or distress. On the other hand, such two-piece bathing suits would prove satisfactory to such women in other contexts than the public bathing beach, as for example, around a swimming pool or with friends.
Custom-made swimsuits designed to maximize exposure of a particular woman's figure while at the same time concealing particular flaws, have been infrequent, due to their cost and accessibility to the vast majority of women.
Therefore, there has been a felt but unfulfilled need for a woman's swimsuit available in conventional sizes which can be adjusted by the wearer to provide the desired degree of exposure and concealment depending on particular circumstances in which the wearer of the swimsuit finds herself.